Coupling.



.-. FREDERIC EcAUBEnTIor BRooKLYN, NEW ironic afcitizen of theF-United rStates,iresiding inY y"the borough;` o'fBrooklyn,'city-of New York,

inthe county foffKingsf'land State of New York, have `inventedifcertain new and? useful Improvement-s y in l- Couplings,` `l of which the following. is la full `and clear specification;

f Miyinventionf relates-in-L general to flex-A ible'f4 connectionsfor couplings yby which torque maybe transmittedv from i one member to anothen l? Intits gbroader`r aspects, the

term s coupling inw-thepresent 1 case.- A11sv -1nltendedyto include al shaft which vis ineelfect awplurality fo'f couplingsjoined together,.l Y r -hefobJ'ectl of :my inventionl is primarily toulprovide .an fimproif'ed fconstru'ction 'of' couplingsv in= which the connected `parts need,y

Y no tfbev lorremain vin straight.' axial alinement wiltlrl eachother, butumayassumediiferent angular positions with respect to eachfotlieL-lA while; retaining thene'chanical-- engagement ofzgthelworking parts.v Such a. construction 1-is-s'hown friexample, in my'` priorj appli-Y cationyflil'ed Marchx-Sth, :19174, SerialNurrie'iy berV 823,543, and thelpresent application con@L stitute's: a' simplifiedllform `of thef construe-i' tion?fthereinillustrated.fvj *fr #The iparticularf' improvements 1.eontem platedlinlthe presentlapplication reside ink the construction `and arangement of f the shell b 'yewhich-v the". adj acentf ends yof -two inter-f meshing members lare externally 'secured to- 1 gether.` and oinisthe fV inteiznal abutment; and 3 5 constructionof.- thetoothed ends of the shaft? sectionsnf/ 1.a 'w

Examples o are shown for purely illustrative purposes in the' accompanying dravingg in which,-

Figure l is a longitudinal section through a y;plurality Lof connected v-shaft .1. sections which may be regarded as a portionofvai flexible shaft constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail external view of one of` the forms of double ended shaft sections such as illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the coupling sleeve or shell is secured to one end of the shaft section by screw threading;

Fig. 3 is a face view of the end of one of the shaft sections;

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section of a modified form of couplingk sleeve mountf ing, in which the sleeve or shell is rigidly Application measran'uary 5, 191s; serial No. 70,465;

ELIAS/J'. E), NU l t,;= the improved construtions'gconrLINGL 0 .i secured to one ,end of a shaft section by be- ABeat -known that I, FREDERIGIECAUBERT,

spibationof' Letters Patenting 4spun into a peripheral groove thereon. v

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionof. aqfurther modification in-@whichjthe 'couplingshellisfiformed integralewithlone endflofsl av construction/'in lplaceofthe twolpiececon--V toothed end 11 of spherical externalcurva-r ture and a toothedl end l1-2 of screwthreaded` cylindrical external form. vThe-toothed ends-'11 fand-12 are in the form of crown gears vof!!'peculiari constructionf-with rounded agrial vrabutment nubs 13 `from which ffthey sp aces i `between the l teeth increase-` in- 'depth radi'aflly'ou'tward,1 while thev teetlr themselvesare' ,SeX-'tended j-fax-i'allye a greater`V distance;

taken ifi-fom the -center toward# the periphery. y This' lconst'ru'ctio1`nf-p'ermite continued engage mentof adj acentnubsj i13 while leavingfthe connected f'members' 'capable 1 of' I assuming dii'erenty angular yrelations 1 -to geach-fothefr'.: i

, 580 nallythr'eaded couplingf shell l whichis scr'en'iedA down Aagainst-a stop. Bange 15 ff The threaded portion l2 receives the interformedon theshaftjsectionflO. The'vothrerv end of the-coupling shell-14 VIis" wrought intol l conformity with and made to embrace the spherical v:outer surface of the toothed end 11 'of an adj acentv segment -or sect-icm :ii-The shelll4t}thus iconstitut-es in effect -an external.. vj

bearing of the sphericalvA end -lflfat the same i; timei securing. together. :the 'adj acent `sections f andi permitting them to assume different .an guiar. positions. ivithrespectftoeach lotheia` Whileysti'll: maintaining their proper kcoperative engagement for transmitting torque. An e annula-groove-l 16 A-`may be` 'provided' -around="`the stem 10 to adapt the sections to the reception of balls or other bearing members if an inclosing casing is to be employed, in the manner illustrated in my prior application above mentioned. y

The threaded connection of the shell 14 with shaft section 10 provides for the ready removal of a defective section, so that .it may be replaced by a new section. It. 1s also important as permitting the variation of the length of the shell or coupling without requiring special machinery for the al,- teration. v

Y are surrounded by the coupling .shell 24.-

Which in this instance is integral with the In F ig. 4, the coupling sleeve or shell 17 embraces and conforms With ythefspherical end 18 of a shaft section 19, and is rigidly secured to the adjacent end of the next shaft section 19, by being spun in at 20 around a peripheral groove or depression. This rigid attachment of the coupling shell 17 With the shaft section 19 is shown merelyto illustrate the general principle of permanent attachment and is not to be taken as confining this feature ofthe invention to the exact expedient here employed for .securing this result. The simplicity of construction over the construction shown in my above mentioned prior Aappllcation is still retained in this form of I.the invention, but ,the ready replacement of a defective section `and the varia-,tion of thelengthv Iof :the coupling or shaft is, of course, lacking. -v

Fig. 5 lillustrates a .still furthersimplification in construction. I-Ijere the coupling orY .shaft .comprises a'succession of units all yof a single design, in ywhich the stem 21 has projecting from one end lthe toothed portion 22 of spherical outer curvature, and has formed in its other end the teeth. 23 which stem 21` The two adjacent units are united together by the shell. 24 being Wrought iover f the spherical outer surface E,of the toothed end 22 as by spinning or otherwise, In this form the same general principle of having the ,coupling shell rigid with oneend ofthe shaft section, so as to confine the flexing movement of the shaft or coupling to one side of the joint With respect to they shell,- is shown, but this form, as Well as that illussurface of the ltoothed ends vr11, 18 and 22, as.

Well as that of the bearing surface Iof shells 14, 17 and 24, is so taken as to permit the joints to rock freely upon the nubs 13. That is to say, the center of curvature is at the -intersection of the axis lof the shaft sect-ion vWiththe surface of the nub 13.

I claim:

1. A flexible coupling, comprising in combination, a pa-ir of shaft sections provided With interengaging toothed ends and axial abutment surfaces, and disposed in general axial alinement but capable of angular displacement With respect to each other, one ofthe adjacent ends having an outer surface of spherical curvature, and a one-piece coupling shell projecting rigidly from the other adjacent end and embracing and con-forming in-contour with said spherical surface, the aperture `of said projecting shell being of less gdameterthan portions of theshaft section on `either Side there/0f. c L

2,. A flexible coupling, comprising 1n `combination, a pair of shaft sections provided' withv intelengaging toothed ends, and axial abutment surfaces, and disposed 4in generali axial yalinement but capable yof angular ,displacement .with Irespect .to eachother, one ofi E' the adjacent .ends :having an .outer s urfaceof spherical curvature, .and a lone-piece coupling shell removably mounted upon'the fadjacent end of the other' section and embrac ing and Aconforming in contour Withsaid sphericalsurface, the aperture of said pro- ,A

jecting she-ll beingof less diameter than portions of the shaft .section on either side thereof.-

3. lAllexible couplingfcomprising 'in coni'- bination, shaft sections having interengag' ing toothed ,ends and axial abutment .sur`- faces arranged in vgeneral Vaxial alinement,

one of said'ends havinganputer .surfacey With spherical curvature centered at the axial abutment, and a ,one-piece 4coupling shell projecting` rigidly from the gend of the other shaft section -With an 'inner surfI face conforming and ,contacting with said outer surface of spherical curvatureand i maintaining said abutment -surfaces in .conn

stant axial contact, the apertureof said pro`v jecting shell being ,offless .diameter .than .portions of the shaft section on either side thereof. y

FREDERIC @cantina-r.,

Copies of this Patent may be O hlailled Ifn five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of yatents, Washington/ILC.- V y, .I 

